Jack Fell Down
by coldfiredragon
Summary: Azkaban makes one think of odd things, like old muggle nursery rhymths. The place can also make one insane, unless one has friends to back him up that is. Harry, Severus, and Draco were thrown in to Azkaban for a crime they didn't commit. What will hap
1. in Azkaban

**Disclaimer: I do not own any part, nor character, of the Harry Potter universe. Talk to J.K. Rowling and her publishers. They are the ones making the big big bucks (or pounds) as the case may be, on this amazing franchise. **

**This fic has been relentlessly beating around my head for a while now and I finally found the inspiration to write it. The chapter is the longest chapter for any piece of fiction I have ever written and I apologize if I don't explain it as clearly as I intended to do. If you have any questions feel free to leave me a review and I will get back to you. I address all reviews from a current chapter when I post new chapters so you will be heard I promise.**

**WARNING: Some very dark, disturbing content ahead. You have been warned.**

**I love reviews! REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW, please I beg you all! Don't leave me hanging.**

**On with the story!

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_"Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water. Jack fell down and broke his crown and Jill came tumbling after."_

Harry sighed heavily as the words to an old muggle nursery rhythm fluttered through his weary mind. He vaguely remembered a day, many years ago, when he had been a child and he heard his aunt read that short sentence to her precious son. He wasn't a child anymore, in fact he really wasn't anything anymore. He shifted slightly and wrapped the thin blanket around his skeletal shoulders. Five years ago he would have never seen himself in this position. Five years ago he had been their golden boy, the child who had survived the killing curse and destroyed the dark lord Voldemort. Now he was "the boy who lived to join the dark lord"! It was absurd and a dry choked cough that might pass for laughter escaped his parched and broken lips.

His life and the world as a whole was just like that stupid rythm. The people were just like Jack and Jill. They worked their way up the hill in hopes of getting the ultimate reward that waited at the top. Life didn't work that way, it never worked that way. All the work that was put into achieving the reward always seemed to fall just short of the goal before everything crumbled and people are left right back where they started. Sadly picking one's self up after the fall isn't always as easy as it sounds. Take Jack for example. According to the rhyme he broke his crown. This could have an infinite number of meanings. It could be that Jack lost all his worldly possesions or he could have been badly injured in the fall. The ryhme doesn't give its reader the details of what came after the fall. It doesn't tell them what they are supposed to do after the fall happens to them.

The wizarding world now thought their boy savior was as dark and dangerous as the dark lord he had helped defeat as an infant. No one had cared when he had stood defiantly at his trial and told the judges that what had happened wasn't his fault, that it had all been a trap by Voldemort to frame him. Fudge had declared him guilty before he even walked into the courtroom. The whole trial process had been a mockery from the very second it had started and Harry wouldn't put it past Fudge to be in Voldemort's pocket. Sadly his farce of a trial had most likely been due to the stupidity of individuals within the ministry itself rather than political corruption.

Fudge believed that surviving the killing curse as an infant had left him mentally unsound and that he had finally lost what little sanity remained to him. Fudge also claimed that Harry had been further corrupted by Draco and Severus who were accused of collaborating with Harry's plan to kill five wizards and eleven muggles. Harry and Draco had been eighteen at the time of their arrest and it made perfect sense in the eyes of the ministry that the two heirs to traditionally pure blood families would adopt the radical views of Voldemort and his followers. They completely disregarded the fact that Harry's mother had been a muggle born, he had obviously hated his half-blood status since his former friend Hermione Granger had been amongst the deceased.

Draco had unwillingly recieved the mark during the summer between fifth and sixth year and had joined Severus as a spy almost immediatly afterward. Harry had not been marked until the fateful night that had earned him a life sentence in Azkaban. That was the night that Voldemort had tortured those poor wizards and muggles before framing Harry, Draco, and Severus for the murders. It was Voldemort's grand plan to get rid of not only the traitors in his midst but also Harry in one fell stroke. The dark lord had used his carefully hidden spy within the order of the phoenix to lure Harry into the trap that would effectively end Harry's career as a wizard of the light.

Harry would never forget the day that he, Draco, and Severus had been dragged before the wizarding court to face charges for the supposed killing of five wizards and eleven muggles. The evidence against them was obvious. The three of them had been found in the center of a circle of their supposed victims and their wands showed clear evidence of having been used to cast a number of dark curses. It should have been obvious that Harry Potter would never take part in killing five of the people closest to him. He would never forget the looks of horror and pain on the faces of Percy, Hagrid, Tonks, and Hermione as they were tortured and killed one after the other. It didn't help that he, Severus, and Draco were also forced to watch as a number of muggles were also killed.

What had hurt him more was to find out the truth about Ron. It had been Ron Weasley, his one time best friend, who had turned him over to Voldemort. The weasel had even gone so far as to rat out Draco and Severus in the process. Harry would never forget Voldemort's smirking, snakelike face, as he gloated about how his spy within the order had personally brought him the great Harry Potter. He, Severus, and Draco had watched in growing apprehension as Voldemort motioned for one of his masked death eaters to come forward and remove his mask. To see Ron Weasley standing before them had left the three wizards speechless and it was not until Harry heard Hermione screaming Ron's name that he had finally reacted.

The surge of magic that escaped his body as his anger against Ron manifested itself had freed him of his bonds but he had been too disoriented by the sudden surge of power to properly use his new found freedom to his advantage. He had been quickly subdued once again and then forced to watch as each of his friends was tortured and their lives finally ended with one of the wands that had formally belonged to he, Severus, and Draco. The use of their wands to cast the unforgiveable curses had been the damning evidence against them in court.

The only vindication that Harry had received from that whole episode was knowing that Ron got what he deserved for being a traitor. He had gotten the pleasure of watching as Ron knelt before his lord waiting to accept praise for a job well done. He had gotten his praise all right, but not as he had expected to. Voldemort had begun by praising Ron's good work but had ended on a note that had sent Ron into a panic. The dark lord did not like traitors, whether they were on his side or not, and had decided to make sure that Ronald Weasley lived to betray no one else. Ron had fallen at the hands of Voldemort and a well timed killing curse. The moment had been rather ironic for Harry and he was surprised how little Ron's death had hurt him. He supposed that he had been pretty much numb to all emotion at that point and the fact that his friend had turned traitor and gotten himself killed for it had not sunk in until later.

The faces of his friends had become engraved in his memory the second they had joined the long list of things that Harry saw when the Dementors neared his cell. He was just like Jack when he fell from the hill he had brought everyone he had ever cared about along with him. He vaguely wandered what thoughts had passed through the minds of Jack and Jill as they plummeted. Did they see their lives flash before their eyes like he did whenever a dementor came near his cell? He hoped they did and he hoped that their lives had been more pleasant then his had turned out to be. He hoped that they had had happy memories and most of all he hoped that they were able to pick themselves up, despite Jack's broken crown, and go on with their lives. He had to think that because if he thought anything else he would find less and less reason to keep fighting.

In all truth he was amazed that he could still think clearly with all the horror that haunted his past. His sorrow attracted the dementors of Azkaban like moths to a flame. If it weren't for Draco and Severus he probably would have gone insane long ago but the three of them were bonded and it was through their bond that they kept each other alive. The day they had bonded was one of the few days in his life that made Harry feel complete. He had known from that day forward that he would always have someone to turn to.

Harry had never intended to become bonded to two of the wizards he had hated most in the world. He was glad it had happened now but at the beginning of his sixth year it was definitly not what he had planned to happen.It had all happened because of his stupidity. The same stupidity that had gotten Sirius killed in the Department of Mysteries. If Harry hadn't been so stubborn when Snape had tried to teach himocclumency the first time then Sirius might still be alive and none of them would be in this situation.

He had never fully gotten over his godfather's death. It had been his fault after all. If he had listened then Sirius might still be alive. Guilt ate at his soul every second of his existence and it had done far more damage then the dementors could ever hope to do. He had spent the summer following Sirius' death chin deep in self pity. His relatives had tried to snap him out of it by giving him a list of chores that was miles long but he had simply ignored them and eventually they had left him alone. He had enjoyed the solitude that they gave him. It was a welcome relief that allowed him to concentrate on nothing but his own grief.

It wasn't until the final weeks before school that he finally snapped out of it. He had come up with a plan and that plan was that he wasn't going to take anyone else down with him when he went down. He would defeat Voldemort and make him pay for what he had taken away from him if it was the last thing he ever did. To do that he would first have to make sure that Voldemort couldn't influence him anymore. He had finally realized the danger that Snape had been trying to drill into his thick skull. Therevelation that Snape had actually been right about something that been an epiphany for Harry and it had awakened the Slytherin in him that he had tried so hard to bury. To beat Voldemort he had to think like the darklord and he had to do it in a manner that Voldemort would never see coming. It required Slytherin cunning which was something that Harry severely lacked. That was why the first thing that Harry did at the beginning of his seventh year was seek out his most hated professor.

What he had done to approach the professor had been akin to suicide. Thinking back on it now he realized that he probably did have a death wish at the time. If Snape had killed him for his tactics then his fight would have been over and if he had gotten expelled then his friends wouldn't be there to go down with him. He had barged into Snape's office shortly after the students were supposed to have been in bed and immediatly cast a body bind and a silencing charm on the man. The look of shock and anger in Snape's eyes was something he would laugh about now if he could. If looks could kill he would have been dead a thousand times over in a single second. It was a look that he never wanted to be on the recieving end of again.

After properly securing Snape and making sure that no one was going to interupt them he had begun talking. He had told Snape everything about himself. He told him about life with the Dursleys,and about how much he hated the role he played in the wizarding world. He had talked for the first time about Sirius and he had ended their little chat by telling Snape just how much he wanted Voldemort gone and that to do that he would have to learn occlumency and he would have to learn it from the one person who would push him the hardest to do it right. To prove it he had been willing to show Snape every memory in his mind if it would convince Snape to train him again.

When he had finally released Snape he had expected the man to start screaming, or cursing him, or proceed with expelling him but Snape had done nothing but sit there with an introspective look on his face. That had scared Harry more than anything. He was not used to sitting there in silence as he waited for the axe stroke that would end his life. Finally Snape had chosen to speak and the single word that exited his lips continued to haunt Harry. When Snape had whispered "Legilimens!" Harry had been forced to relive his whole brutal life. It had been his choice to do so and he made no attempt to stop Snape from taking whatever he wanted from his mind. He had known that it had to be done. Snape would have never taken him on again without anything less.

Reliving his life in an instant had finally showed shown Snape that he was serious and that he was definitly not the boy who Snape believed him to be. Harry may have been a carbon copy of James Potter but he was definitly not James Potter. There was too much of Lily Evans in him and Harry knew that that fact alone probably saved his life. Severus may have disliked his mother but he did respect her and she did the same for him. When no one else had stood up for him Severus had found a silent friend. She might not have defended him out right but she would usually try to stop things before they went to far. The memory that Harry had seen in his fifth year had been one of the few times where she had failed.

After that eye opening session Snape had started rigorously training him in occlumency. The two of them had found a common ground that allowed them to be civil to one another and it was only during their sessions that they allowed that respect to show. During classes things appeared as they always had. Snape ridiculed his dismal potions skills while Harry sat there and took it. In truth he had actually gotten much better at potions and Snape recognized that fact. However it would have been suspicious if they had suddenly become friends so they allowed their old relationship to continue.

It had been during one of their training sessions that Draco stumbled upon the truth. It had happened duringt he first practice session following Christmas break of Harry and Draco's sixth year. Harry and Severus had warded Snape's quarters as they always did but Draco had barged right past the wards like they weren't even there and had started ranting before he had even realized that Harry was in the room. By the time that Severus got the boy silenced he had already blurted out more than Harry should have been privy to. What he found out in those few seconds changed his whole opinion of Draco Malfoy. Underneath the pure-bred exterior Draco was really just a scared child who had seen too many things he didn't want to see and whose father had forced him to take Voldemort's mark.

When Draco had realized that Harry was in the room Harry had come face to face with the tip of the other boy's wand. If it hadn't been for Severus' quick action Harry was sure that he would have been the focus of more than one dark curse. His presence had terrified the younger Malfoy who definitly did not want his worst enemy knowing that he was marked. When Severus had stopped him from attacking Harry the boy had completely broken down and Harry had watched as Severus took charge by moving the distraught youth to the couch and preparing tea which he spiked with a large quantity of calming potion.

The potion had brought Malfoy back to some semblance of his normal pure-bred ways and he quickly tried to put his masks back in place.He had done a decent job of it as well but Harry knew they were masks and knew how to look past them and still see the pale scared boy who was playing at being brave. Harry had known the feeling all too well but he had known that if he confronted Malfoy about his masks at that time then Malfoy would have snapped even further. Over the years Harry had learned that you didn't kick a person when they were down. It only made them want to get back at you more then they already did and he didn't really want Draco to hate him. If he had met Draco before he had met Ron there might have been a good chance that he and Draco could have been friends, not the enemies they had grown to be.

Harry hadcome out of his thoughts when he had heard Draco and Severus begin talking. The two them were discussing Draco's options and it wasn't long before they had decided that Draco would join Severus as a spy. It really had been the only logical course of action if Draco wanted to avoid serving Voldemort. The conversation had then turned to Harry. Draco did not want the Gryffindor knowing his deepest secret and telling the whole school about his mark.

When Draco had insinuated that Harry would go about telling everyone he knew the truth Harry had become angry. He may not have liked Malfoy all that much at the time but he had had no intention of telling the whole school about something that Draco clearly didn't want to be public information, especially when the dark mark was not something that Draco had wanted in the first place. Draco had of course been a little shocked by Harry's angry response and Severus had had to intervene once again when the boys had found themselves at the points of each other's wands.

The professor had then suggested a solution that would guarantee secrecy on all sides. Severus had been nervous about taking Draco on as a spy. He had not wanted to be responsible for the younger boy but he had known that if he did not take Draco under his wing then the boy would probably do something that would reveal himself as disloyal to Voldemort and Severus would not allow himself to knowingly lead a student into danger. Draco had been understandably nervous and Harry just hadn't wanted to go about his day to day business without worrying about when Draco was going to snap under the pressure and come after him because he knew the truth.

What Severus had suggested, and what he and Draco had agreed to was a blood bonding ritual. It was a spell that required the blood of the participants and invoked a complex and unbreakable pact between the wizards whotook partin it. If any of the participants gave away the secrets of the others involved than the ones who had been betrayed would become aware of the fact that they had been betrayed. Thepact that was formed also invoked a mental link between thewizards that entered into it.Due to this factor thespellhad beenclassified as dark magic but Severushad been willing to perform the spell if it meant added safety for the three of them. He had even been able to provide a copy of the spell for the teenagers to look over.

Harry had been the most reluctant to enter into a pact but he knew what Severus and Draco were risking to help end the war. It probably hadn't been the wisest decision he had ever made but he had agreed. He had just wanted the feud between himself and Draco to end so they could concentrate on winning the war. That time hadn't been right for stupid rivalries and Harry had been willing to put the past behind him if Draco agreed. The other boy had been less than happy about the idea of being bonded to his nemesis but he had been more worried about Harry revealing his secret so he had agreed as well. Once they had agreed Severus had given them both detentions for the following evening and had told him to meet him in his classroom. Harry remembered that night and he knew that he would never forget that night even if the dementors of Azkaban completely destroyed his mind. Bonding to another wizard was something one did not forget, no matter what the circumstances.

_flashback_

_Harry walked quickly through the cold dark corridors of the dungeons. He had told Ron and Hermione about his detention with Snape the night before and neither of them had been happy with him. Hermione had lectured him for what seemed like hours about how he would eventually have to put aside his feelings for Snape while Ron had just been Ron. The other boy's attitude of late had disturbed Harry but Harry could not figure out what upset him so greatly about his friend's attitude. Ron had been so angry lately and it just didn't make sense to Harry. _

_For now though he pushed the thoughts of Ron to the back of his mind. He had more important things to worry about. The idea of using blood to bind himself to Snape and Malfoy didn't set well with him but he knew that it was the only way to get Malfoy to trust him. He knew what it was like to carry the weight of the world on one's shoulders and to do so alone was something that Harry did not want another student like himself to experience._

_He finally reached the potions classroom and took a few deep breaths to settle his stomach before he reached up to knock on the heavy door. As he waited for a response he became more and more nervous and had to force himself not to run. The door finally opened and he saw Severus looking at him with piercing ebony eyes. Harry suddenly felt very small and unguarded but he pushed the feelings away and entered the room. He saw Draco sitting near the front and silently went to sit near the other boy. Neither of them spoke as Severus moved around the room and gathered what they would need to complete the ritual. When he had finally collected what he needed he placed the various jars on his desk and began putting them inside a small bag. Once he had done that he motioned for the boys to follow him. They had done so but it was obvious that they were confused by his actions so Severus was quick to explain._

_"This ritual cannot be performed within the castle. It has a dark magical signature and it will be noticed by the wards. To avoid that we must go outside the wards. I have prepared a clearing in the forest. It is a safe place to perform the spell. I have recieved permission from the headmaster to take you two into the forest to help me collect potions ingredients. It is the perfect excuse so we must go quickly. When we reach the forest stay close to me. Dumbledore does not lie when he says the forest is dangerous._

_Harry and Draco exchanged a glance. Each of them remembered their experience with Hagrid and the forest during first year and neither of them was eager to return there now or anytime in the future. For a second Harry thought that Draco would back out but the boy's internal struggle seemed to be over before it began and the boy nodded for Severus to lead the way. The three of them were silent as they walked through the halls and out of the school. As they exited the building they could see that the sun was already starting its descent towards the horizon and there was only a couple hours of daytime left. Knowing that they were entering the forest so close to evening caused a chill to pass down Harry's spine and he wrapped his cloak a little tighter around himself. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Draco doing the same thing._

_Together they followed Snape across the grounds and as they approached the forest each of them moved a little closer to the professor. It may have sounded stupid but the closer they got the better they felt. Neither of them wanted to get separated from Severus and the man was moving rather quickly into the rapidly developing underbrush. It took a lot longer then Harry thought to reach the clearing that Snape had prepared. He had had no idea just how far into the forest the wards of the castle spread until that night and he could feel the difference when they finally left them. It was like the temperature had suddenly dropped about ten degrees and Harry could see small puffs of steam as his breath escaped him. _

_The clearing that Severus had prepared was small and a patch of sky was visible through the thick overhanging of branches. Severus removed several items from his bag and immediatly began creating an elaborate pattern of symbols on the ground with a thick powder. As he moved he muttered a continuous dialogue that Harry recognized as latin. When Severus finished making the design he turned to Harry and Draco._

_"Potter stand in that pattern and Malfoy in that one." The boys did as they were told and moved to stand in the open centers of the two spell patterns. Each of them could feel the magic rising from the ground as they stepped into place and they watched as Severus added a few more lines to the pattern before stepping into the circle he had prepared for himself. Once Severus was ready the pattern around their feet glowed a bright white and each of them felt waves of magic wash over them. It was a disorienting experience and Harry suddenly realized that he could see the magic around him. It was like looking through falling water and he could see Severus as the older wizard removed a dagger from somewhere within his robes. _

_The sight of the dagger frightened Harry and he suddenly realized exactly what he had agreed to do. He reached out to stop Severus but when his hand reached the magic barrier surrounding him he realized that he could not pass through it. He glanced over at Draco who had a similiar look of anxiety on his face and Harry had to force himself to swallow past the lump in this throat as he realized that they were both trapped and that the only way to end the ritual was to complete it. Draco looked up and their gazes met for a brief second. It was a look of acceptance as each of them agreed that since they had to see this through then they would make the best of it._

_Harry trained his gaze back on Severus who was using his wand to cast a series of spells on the dagger in his hand. As the spells were cast the blade flashed a blinding white and the three of them were forced to shadow their eyes until the light dimmed. When it finally did it left behind a dagger that was glowing soflty and Harry could see the magic radiating from the gleaming surface. Severus glanced at both boys and they both confirmed with a nod that they were ready to proceed. Harry noticed that Draco seemed a little hesitant but he did agree and Harry felt a little relief flow through him. He Draco was willing to do this then so was he. He was supposed to be the brave one of them afterall. It would be un-Gryffindor like to back down. It was at that instant that he also cursed his personality. He would have to work on being more Slytherin if he wanted to survive the coming war. _

_While Harry had been cursing his Gryffindor side Severus had seen their nods of approval and had raised the dagger and placed the blade against his palm. As he did so the blade caught the dying red rays of the sun and Harry forced himself to pay attention to what was going on around him. He would have to repeat whatever Snape said word for word if he didn't want the spell to go wrong and he knew that he had to pay attention. When Severus finally spoke his voice was clear and strong. He spoke the actual words of the spell in latin and cut into his hand. _

_"I, Severus Snape agree to enter into a bond pact with Harry Potter and Draconis Malfoy. By doing so I am agreeing to keep the secrets that are entrusted to me unless I have consent to reveal those secrets with the other members involved in the pact.. There will be no way to circumvent this without the others knowing and anyone who reveals information learned through the pact will be instantly revealed as a traitor. This pact is made final."_

_Severus wrapped his hand around the blade before he waved the blade through the curtain of magic surrounding him. The knife passed through easily and Severus was able to step outside his circle and into the center of the ritual circle. He opened his hand and allowedthe crimsondropletsto flow freely over the glyph on the ground and where the droplets hit the glyph began to glow a bright blue. Severus then approached the circle where Draco stood. He passed the dagger through the curtain of magic and Draco reached out to take the weapon from his mentor. He looked slightly disturbed but he raised the blade to his hand and repeated the same latin spell that Severus had performed earlier._

_"I, Draconis Malfoy agree to enter into a bond pact with Harry Potter and Severus Snape. By doing so I am agreeing to keep the secrets that are entrusted to me unless I have consent to reveal those secrets with the other members involved in the pact. There will be no way to circumvent this without the others knowing and anyone who reveals information learned through the pact will be instatnly revealed as a traitor. This pact is made final."_

_He repeated the motions that Severus had performed and exited his circle to stand beside the older wizard. He extended his palm and allowed the droplets of his blood to fall onto the glyph. Where they landed the glyph turned a bright green. He then approached Harry and passed the dagger to him. Harry swallowed hard as he gripped the weapon's slick handle and held the blade to his hand. He repeated the latin of spell and placed the dagger to his hand. _

_"I, Harry Potter agree to enter into a bond pact with Severus Snape and Draco Malfoy. By doing so I am agreeing to keep the secrets that are entrusted to me unless I have consent to reveal those secrets from the other members in the pact. There will be no way to circumvent this without the others knowing and anyone who reveals information learned through the pact will be instantly revealed as a traitor. This pact is final."_

_He then performed the motion and stepped outside his circle. The places where his blood fell caused the glyph to turnan odd violet colorand Harry held out the dagger for Severus to take from him. The older man did so and held the dagger between them._

_"The pact is final." _

_As quickly as the words were spoken the glyph that surrounded their feet glowed whiter then ever before turning a dark red color. The three wizards shared looks of apprehension as they were suddenly lifted off their feet and held in the air by the powerful magic they had invoked. Each of them felt a pull on their minds as the spell began to form the mental connection that would bond them together until their deaths. As quickly as the connection was formed a feeling of peace descended over the three of them. It madeeach of them feel complete and safe. It was an exhausting process that left each of them unable to stand when he magic finally exhausted itself. The only marks they found from the ordeal were the thin white scars that stretched the length of their palms and they spent the return trip to the castle in silence. _

_End Flashback_

Maybe it would have been better if he had never confronted Severus about teaching him occlumency. He doubted that the current situation they found themselves would be any different if he had not though. The only difference would be that instead of friends, he, Severus, and Draco would have been enemies. The past five years under the sway of the dementors had taken their toll on Harry's mind and the poor conditions of the prison had taken their toll on his body. Despite it all Harry was glad to have Severus and Draco by his side. The three of them had kept each other sane throughout their time in the hellhole that was Azkaban and they had vowed to continue doing so as long as they had to remain there.

Harry knew that the samethe same things that were happening to him were also happening to hs friends. The mental link that they shared gave them a pretty vivid picture into each other's thoughts. The three of them shared cells that stood beside one another. As far as they knew they were the only three prisoners in their wing and the only contact they had with anything other than a dementor was when a guard brought them their meager rations. It was a degrading existence but the three of them kept each other's spirits up as much as possible. It had become a kind of game for them at times. If they failed in the game they would undoubtably go insane. The stakes were high but the reward that kept them going would be worth it.

Each of them looked forward to the day that somebody on the outside realized a mistake had been made. It had to happen sooner or later that someone in Voldemort's organization would let the truth slip. Once that happened the wizarding world would be all to happy to welcome the three of them back with open arms. It was a kindness that the wizarding world would not receive. He, Severus, and Draco had decided that a long time ago. When they were released they were not going to help either side. Neither side would get the aid of the boy who lived and the two wizards who had become most loyal to him. Harry saw it as a form of vindication for all that he, Severus, and Draco had suffered. He was not about to help a world that had betrayed him.

Harry flat out refused to serve a master while Severus and Draco had no master to return to. Their former lord knew that they were traitors and he would never accept them back into his fold. Dumbledore had lost their loyalty when he had them thrown in Azkaban without a proper trial. It had been a shattering blow, especially to Severus who had served Dumbledore for longer than Harry and Draco had been alive. They had made the collective decision that neither side would recieve their help and they planned to stick to that decision. Their loyalty now lied solely to each other and to the few people who had supported them when no one else would. That list was extremely short but it had helped knowing that not everyone in the wizarding world was blind.

Despite the odds that faced them, Harry was confindant, that when they were released that they would recover. It wouldn't be life as it was before but they would have each other and they would embrace the few who had never given up on them into their fellowship as well. The price that the wizarding world paid for neglecting him would be great but Harry did not particularily care at the moment nor saw himself caring again anytime in the near future. Harry's only goalwas to not be like Jack. Despite the hardships that he had faced, and the shattering fall down the hill he would pick himself up and start his life over again. It was his promise to himself and it was his promise to Severus and Draco and he knew that the two other men supported his vision. They would bounce back and they would do it together.

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**That was the first chapter of what I hope will be a well received story. Please review and let you know if I should continue or not. If you don't like it feel free to tell me why but try to do so nicely. Thanks to everyone who reads this and enjoys it.**


	2. revelations

**Disclaimer: I do not own any part, nor character, of the Harry Potter universe. Talk to J.K. Rowling and her publishers. They are the ones making the big big bucks (or pounds) as the case may be, on this amazing franchise. **

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Harry sighed in relief as the dementors finally withdrew from the wing of Azkaban that he, Draco, and Severus shared. Each time they came around the mental link that existed between the three of them shut down. Harry got a feeling that Severus had something to do with that. The man had the most mental control of all of them and it was too dangerous to leave the link open if it could be closed.

None of them wanted to relive their own memories, let alone each other's memories. Each of them had things that they were afraid of and each of them had events that haunted their pasts. Harry thought that he had the worst life but he wouldn't have put it by Severus to have been worse off then he was. The man had seen a lot more then Harry ever wanted to and the older wizard attempted to shield Harry and Draco from his thoughts whenever possible. They already knew what the other man had gone through but each of them tried to respect the memories of the others.

Both he and Draco were appreciated the effortof course. Neither of them really wanted to know what had gone on in Voldemort's ranks year after year. Draco knew to some extent but he had only been a death eater for a few months so his personal experiencewas limited. Harry had only seen what had happened during his visions and onthe night his friends were killed and he would be happy to never see another meeting for as long as he lived.

During his stay in Azkaban his link to the dark lord had been miracously silent. He figured that Voldemort did not want to see want to see what his greatest nemesis saw each time a dementor came near. That was fine with Harry though, he didn't particularily want Voldemort seeing anymore of his thoughts than he already had. Since the monster had kept quiet Harry saw no reason to tempt fate by trying to sneak a peek at the dark lord's mind. He didn't really even care about the war anymore. He had been betrayed by both sides so the outcome of the war would be lost to him.

Not that he saw the war ending anytime soon. He was the one who was supposed to end it after all and there was no way that such a thing was going to happen while he was locked up in Azkaban. Even after he was released he wasn't going to help them. Dumbledore had dug his own grave and there was no way that Harry was going to help him out of it. It just wasn't something one did after suffering for five years.

If the wizarding world had realized its mistake after a couple of months then Harry might have been more inclined to help them but as things stood now he had no intention of ever going back. Harry allowed his thoughts to drift to thoughts of what his life would be like when the wizarding world finally opened their eyes. Until that happened though his dreams were just that, dreams, and they would remain dreams. It was a sobering thought. The idea that he and his two friends might never be free.

With an angry sigh Harry pushed such thoughts away. He would not think such things because if he did then Severus and Draco would pick up on the thoughts if they had not done so already. He did not want to dishearten the two wizards. They were his only link to anything other than dementor induced insanity and he hoped that they would continue to link him to the 'real' world for as long as it took for them to be freed.

Harry felt a gentle probing at the edges of his mind which he recognized as Severus. The man had been the foundation that he and Draco stood on in this when their world descended into chaos. Harry remembered the day that they had been sentenced to their terms in Azkaban. He had remembed the numbness that had overcome him when Fudge had announced the verdict. He remembered Ginny screaming that they were wrong as she was had been removed from the courtroom. Above all he would never forget Severus as the elder wizard used the mental link between them to encourage them. The older wizard had told he and Draco to hold their heads high and not let the minister see that he had defeated them.

It was advise that Harry had taken to heart. He would not look defeated. Despite receiving a life sentence in Azkaban he was still the proud young wizard who had had a life-time of hardship to prepare him for the ultimate trial that lay ahead of him. Azkaban was just one more thing that would make him stronger. He got the impression from their mental link that Draco felt the same way.

He felt Severus nudge his mind again and relaxed as he allowed the older man entrance. As he did so he felt warmth flow through him. It wasn't so much real warmth as it was the knowledge that someone actually cared enough about him to check on him in his worst moments. He made his thoughts available to Severus and felt a wave of sympathy from his link with the older man and a small smilegraced his face. Satisfied that nothing more than the usual was amiss Severus withdrew from Harry's mind and Harry returned to his thoughts.

Of the two of them Harry felt Draco's emotions the most. The other boy was the strong silent type but he had lived a cushioned life that neither Severus nor Harry had experienced. It was very different to go fromspoiled child who had had the world as his oyster to being dumped in an Azkaban prison cell with nothing but the clothes on your back and a ratty old blanket. Draco had lost a lot when he was recognized as a spy. The boy was still the technically the head of the Malfoy family. His father had been killed in a death eater raid a few months before Draco and Severus had been revealed. During those months Draco had worked hard to establish himself as clear head of the family. His mother Narcissa was and never would be a death eater and she was taking care of her son's affairs while he rotted in Azkaban.

Life had been cruel to all of them but it had made them stronger. There was no doubting that. It had also brought them closer. The three of them as a group were much stronger than the three of them as individuals and they all brought their own strengths to the table. Draco was the politcian and the talker. He had the money and resources, when he wasn't locked up that was, to move mountains. If they were ever freed that power would grown tenfold because he had suffered wrongly.

Severus was, to put it bluntly, brilliant. Severus had been head boy in his seventh despite the fact that most of the school disliked him. He was also a potions master. That set of skills made him a valuable asset in itself. The gift was rare among pureblood families and it was customary for the best in a certain craft to receive a certain amount of recognition for their skills. Severus had had that recognition. When he had still been a professor he had used his spare time to fill orders that he received from clients all over the world.

Harry was the fighter. He had spent all of his sixth and seventh years, as well as the year following his graduation, preparing himself for a fight that now would probably not take place. His connection to Severus' mind had opened up a wealth of spells that he would have never discoverd on his own and his own research had expanded that growing library to an even greater extent. He had made a point to study both light and dark magic. He had known that Voldemort would not refrain from using dark magic against him and he had to be prepared.

Those days were gone though. He had no intention of seeking Voldemort out and fighting him unless the dark lord started something himself. The only way he would react was if Voldemort provoked him by attacking someone that Harry cared about or attacked Harry himself. Harry didn't think that Voldemort would do something so stupid but one never knew what dark lords would do if they became desperate or felt threatened. Harry would probably never find out either because he figured that he would rot in Azkaban for the rest of his life.

> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >

Albus Dumbledore paced back and forth across the length of his office. The past few years had not been kind to him and the war was slowly spiralling out of control. The order had gotten word from a low level death eater that they had captured that there was to be a raid tonight and he had decided to be prepared rather than not. His forces had been almost completely crippled when Harry, Draco, and Severus had been revealed as loyal death eaters. It was something that still shocked him even today. He had placed so much trust in the three of them but to find them in the circle of the dead had been too much evidence to ignore.

The three of them had chosen their victims with an expert eye as to what would hurt the order the most. Ron and Hermione had to go because they were Harry's closest friends and would prove his loyalty to Voldemort. Percy was a close aid to the minister and hadmost likely beentortured for information before he was finally killed. Tonks was an outstanding Auror and member of the Order. She had been in the process of training the newest batch of Aurors before her death. Hagrid's death had shocked Dumbledore the most. The half-giant had been an important link between Dumbledore and the true giants but he had also been Harry's first friend within the wizarding world.

The deaths of those five order members had had a devastating effect on the rest of the order. The death of two of Molly's children had effectively driven the poor woman insane. He remembered how Molly had blindly attempted to attack Harry as the young man was brought into the court room for his trial. Her husband had been forced to remove her before the hearing could proceed because she would not stop screaming. The subsequent disappearance of Ginny after the end of the trial had further driven the woman into madness. Molly believed that her daughter had been another victim of Harry's rage and had only begun to recover over the last year.

Remus had been torn between a his belief in Harry's innocence and the obvious signs that pointed to his guilt. The man had lost all his friends in his life and the idea that his godson was guilty had been emotionally crippling. The fact that one of the victims was Tonks had also hurt him. He had cared for the young witch and Dumbledore knew that she had cared for Remus. From the beginning Remus had held on to the belief that Harry was innocent but in recent years his hope was slowly dwindling and the man who had lost so much had taken on a hardened edge that only lose could foster.

Albus stopped in front of his desk chair and wearily collapsed into the worn leather seat. There was nothing he could do to change the past. Harry was loyal to Voldemort and he should have seen that Severus and Draco were only pretending to be loyal to him. It had truly shocked him when he had found out about Severus. He had been so sure that the young man was loyal to him for so many years. He should have none that Severus was not when the quality of information he brought back during the second war had been worse then the quality he brought back during the first war.

Severus had said that this was because Voldemort didn't trust him as he did before but he should have been able to see past Severus' lies. The realization that he had allowed Severus to stay so close to the center of information while the man was actually a spy had made the headmaster of Hogwarts ill. He had not believed that his trust had been so badly misplaced.

With a sigh Albus pushed his thoughts away and leaned towards his desk to pull a pile of paperwork closer to him. The school term had just ended three days ago and now he had ministry paper work and grade reports to sign off on. He had only finished a couple papers when the door to his office burst open and Remus, Mad-Eye Moody, and Arthur Weasley dragged a bound Bellatrix LeStrange into his office. Albus was immedialy on his feet with his wand raised at the defenseless woman.

Seeing that she did not appear to be going anywhere he looked to the three wizards who had brought him in. He was excited about having caught such a high ranking death eater. Bellatrix may have been more than a little insane but she was since Lucius Malfoy had been killed and Snape thrown into Azkaban she had become one of Voldemort's right hands and loosing her would certainly hurt Voldemort's forces.

"What happened? How did the raid go?" He knew that he sounded more eager than he should have but catching such a high ranking death eater was the break that the order had been waiting for. They had needed this for such a long time and they finally had the chance to get some real information. It was the perfect opportunity and he would not waste it but in order to not waste it he had to know what had happened. Remus was the first to speak.

"There were twenty-five of them. Our advance scouts caught them as they apparated just within the trees outside the village and we were able to get in position and killten of them before they knew what happened. Two more of them apparated away before we could do anything more. We assume they were the ones designated to report our ambush to the dark lord. The twelve that remained put up quite a fight." He stopped and Albus looked them over with a grim look on his face.

"Continue!" He needed to know all the details. Moody picked up where Remus had left off.

"We lost two of our own. Williamson and Savage from the Auror department. They got separated from the group and were killed. Shacklebolt was severly wounded and he is being treated for multiple crucios at St. Mungos. They expect he will recover but it will take time. Other than that our forces suffered some mild injuries but nothing that we shouldn't bounce back from." Albus nodded and rubbed his eyes wearily.

"Have the families of the dead Aurors been notified yet?"Arthur spoke.

"Not yet, we just got back here and we figured that you might like to contact their families personally." Dumbledore nodded.

"I will do so as soon as possible. But first I would like to deal with Bellatrix first." He turned his eyes to the bound woman who was glaring at him with a look of hatred and contempt.

"Moody give her the veritaserum." The elder Auror pulled a carefully labebled vial from his robes and removed the dropper from the stopper. Bellatrix had shifted her gaze from Dumbledore to Moody and was scowling at him. There was an angry gleam in her eye and Dumbledore had no doubt that if she could free herself then she would give the four wizards a run for their money.

While Moody was busy with the vial Remus gripped Bellatrix by the hair and Arthur forced the woman's mouth opened. She tried to bite him but Moody moved quickly and dripped the liquid into her mouth while he had his chance. The four of them watched as the bound woman's eyes glassed over and she fell limp in her captors arms. When Dumbledore was convinced that the drug had worked its way into her system hereturned to his seat andbegan to question her.

"What is your name?"

"Bellatrix LeStrange."

"Are you a loyal supporter of the dark lord?" A haunting smile graced the woman's lips and her glassy eyes lit up.

"It is an honor to serve my lord. I would die for him."

"Have you ever been forced, through use of the imperius curse or through any other method, to serve the dark lord?"

"Never, I serve willingly." The woman's empty eyed smile widened and she rocked back and forth slightly.

"Does the dark lord discuss strategy with you?"

"Of course he does. I am honored that my lord has chosen to trust me. He has always known that I would die for him. I am his chief advisor and I proudly serve him."

"When did you become his chief advisor?" The woman threw her head back as much as her bounds would allow and chuckled. Dumbledore turned his gaze away from her. The image of her dead glassy eyes staring at the ceiling as she laughed burned into his mind. It was an image that he never wanted to see again and he realized just how insane the woman had to be. Bellatrix's laughter finally slowed and she spoke.

"I became my lord's most trusted the day my lord realized that the fool Snape had been betraying him and that he had bewitched the Malfoy brat to follow him." Dumbledore found himself on his feet before he even realized that he had moved. His mind was spinning and he felt panic gripping him. Bellatrix was laughing again and Dumbledore felt sick as he watched her.

Did she even realized what she had said? Had he actually heard what he thought he heard? A quick glance at Moody, Remus, and Arthur confirmed his worst fears. They had heard it as well and the implications of what she had said were becoming clear to them. He tried to keep the emotion out of his voice as he spoke again.

"You said Snape and the younger Malfoy betrayed Voldemort in what way did they do so?" Bellatrix froze and her glazed eyes widened as she realized what she had done. She tried desperately to fight the veritaserum. She quickly lost the battle and she spoke slowly.

"He... they.. pasesed... passed.. information to...the order.. of phoenix... THE TRAITORS SHOULD DIE. ROTTING IN AZKABAN IS TOO GOOD FOR THOSE WHO BETRAY MY LORD!" She slow started ended in an ear piercing shriek and Albus found himself falling back into his chair.

"What about Harry Potter?" His voice was a whisper and Bellatrix's laughter once again filled his ears.

"Betrayed by those he considered friends. He put up quite a fight though, especially when he found out that the Weasley brat wasserving my lord." The woman had given up all efforts to control what she said and was clearly gloating about what she saw as her lord's greatest achievement.

"Percy? Percy was working for he who must not be named?" Dumbledore could hear the clear edge of disbelief, panic, and anger in Arthur's voice as he spoke.

"Not the minister's brat, it was Ickle Ronnikins. The brat hated being in Potter's shadow so he brought the golden boy to my lord's feet." Arthur stumbled back as if blinded and collapsed into a chair as Bellatrix burst into laughter yet again. He could not believe this was happening, if the woman had not been under veritaserum he wouldn't believe it but he knew deep down that it was the truth. They had actually sentenced three innocent men to Azkaban. It was almost too much to conceive.

"Stupefy!" Arthur looked up long enough to realize that Remus had used the stunner to silence the laughing and clearly insane woman. She was now slumped over and silent.

Dumbledore was holding his head in his hands and his shoulders were shaking slightly. The wizard looked like he had aged a hundred years in a matter of seconds and Arthur realized that the man must be going through much more than he let on. The man had placed his trust in Severus and he had cared for Draco and Harry like they were his sons. the fact that he had been instrumental in getting them sent to Azkaban must be slowly destroying him.

The four of them sat there in silence and the truth hung between them. Remus was the first to speak.

"We have to go the ministry. Fudge has to order releases for Harry, Draco and Severus when he sees our recollections of this event. He can't avoid his role in this." Dumbledore nodded and looked to Moody and Arthur.

"Will you be joining us or will we be going alone?" Both men stood quickly and the four of them made their way out of the castle and towards the Hogwarts apparation barrier. They reappeared outside the phone booth leading to the ministry and made their way inside. They found themselves outside of Fudge's office within minutes and they didn't even wait for the man's secretary to anounce their arrival before they stormed into the man's office.

> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >

Ginny walked into her kitchen and stretched. It was early in the morning and the sun had just crested the horizon. She could see the drops of dew on the petals of the flowers in her garden as she stood at the kitchen sink and drank a glass of juice as she waited for her tea to finish. The window above the sink was open and the cool morning air caused her long red hair to flutter.

The young woman's life had changed over the last five years. She had grown up and wasn't the naive child that she had been during her Hogwarts years. She had learned how cruel the world could and that cruelty was especially apparant within wizarding society. Any society that threw innocent men into Azkaban without considering all the evidence could wither and die in her opinion.

She still practiced magic but she rarely went out in public and she had avoided her family for the last five years. She knew the effect that the death of her brothers had had on her mother and she did not want to be there. She knew that it was selfish but she had other concerns in her life and she did not want to add caring for her mother to that long list. Especially in the early years of her mother's suffering. It had just been too much, especially when she was the only one in her family who believed that Harry, Draco and Severus were innocent.

She heard a noise near the doorway of the kitchen and turned to investigate. As she did so a genuine smile graced her face. Standing in the doorway was the only person who could truly make her smile since everything had gone so wrong in her life. The little four year old boy who was peeking into the kitchen was her pride and joy and she went great lenghts to make sure that he had everything she could give him. She knelt down and the little boy grinned widely at her and ran into her arms.

She scooped her son into her arms and spun him around. The child shrieked in delight as his mother settled him on her hip and tickled him with her free hand. She loved Jonathan more than anything in her world but the boy reminded her of his father. The child had his father's eyes and everytime their gaze met she was reminded of the gleam of despair that she had seen in her husband's eyes as his sentence had been announced.

It had almost destroyed her when her husband had been found guilty. No one had known that she had married immediatly upon finishing her seventh year at Hogwarts and no one knew that she had been pregnant when her husband went to Azkaban. Suddenly she realized that Jonathan was pointing at something outside and she turned just in time to see an owl flying toward the open window. She stepped back and allowed the owl to fly inside. She could tell immediatly that it was a Daily Prophet owl and that it was clearly in a bad mood.

Ginny put Jonathan down and went to tend to the owl. She removed the paper from its leg and paid the bird. She then reached over to a small tin and removed a couple owl treats and walked to the sink to prepare a bowl of water. The owl noticed and hooted in appreciation as he accepted what she offered him. About that time her tea kettle whistled and she prepared a cup of tea and some cereal for Jonathan before sitting down to read the paper.

As she unfolded the paper and read the headline the paper fell from her hands.

"POTTER, MALFOY, AND SNAPE FOUND INNOCENT OF ALL CHARGES! MINISTRY OFFICIALS PREPARING FOR THEIR RELEASE!" Ginny quickly got over her surprise and picked the paper back up with shaking hands. She couldn't believe that it was actually true. It was almosttoo good to be true. She scooped Jonathan up from his chair and began dancing around the room. The boy didn't know what was going on but he saw that his mother was happy about something and that made him happy. He giggled uncontrollably as his mother smiled and realized that whatever had happened it was something important.

* * *

**As you guys can see I left you a bit of a teaser there at the end. Review and let me know who you think the father of Ginny's baby is as well as what you thought of the chapter in general. It could be one of two people. Sorry to all the Sev/Ginny shippers out there but the father is definitly not Sev. This leaves you guys two choices. Draco or Harry. I'm evil I know. Please review though, I appreciate it.**

**On to reader reviews:**

**Reinnos FireClaw Nemaste: **I'm glad you were impressed. I hope you liked this chapter as well. I agree the lack of dialogue does work best for thoughts. I actually prefer first person for individual thoughts but first person is difficult to write in long stories. Please keep reviewing.

**anti-thule:** Glad you liked the first chapter. Please keep reading and reviewing.

**Drakeluvr**: Thanks glad you liked it.

**slashslut:** I love Azkaban stories but I wanted to make mine different. I'm glad you liked it and I hope you liked the newest chapter as well.

**Yavanna:** Thanks I try to write well but I don't always think that I succeed. I'm glad to see someone say that I do. Please keep reviewing. I appreciate each one.

**TEC:** Thanks for the review.

**Mary:** Thanks the nursery rhyme was my favorite part as well. It was my inspiration to be truthful. Thanks for the review.

**lildevil425:** Yes, in canon, the dementors did go to Voldemort. In my story they didn't. I'm kinda ignoring HBP but not totally, I haven't really thought about it too much. I think I addressed your question about their release in this chapter. I hope you liked it. Please review again.

**RavenRose:** Thanks, Draco and Sev are my two favorite characters and having them alongside Harry in Azkaban intrigued me.

**Erin:** No slash sorry, I just don't write romance well. I hope you liked the direction I took the new chapter.

**websurffer:** Here is your update. I hope you enjoyed.

**Yasona Black:** No slash. Please keep reviewing.

**Thunderstone:** I hope you enjoyed it.

**Julia:** Detailed responses are ALWAYS welcome. Be as detailed or undetailed as you like but please review in some fashion. I just love hearing feedback.


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